There are millions of people playing this game. Millions. Other MMORPGs consider themselves very successful if they reach just 1 million subscribers. This fact alone makes me chuckle a bit every time I see any of the frequent forum posts from disgruntled players about how WoW is dead.

Does this new patch illustrate that fact? Very well, I think. What it illustrates most, I think, is Blizzard's innate ability to truly listen to their fanbase. Many will scoff at that, but I believe it's true. WotLK and its emphasis on story was a direct response to the disappointment of how Illidan was handled in TBC. WotLK's expansion of 'casual' raiding (via 10-mans and purchaseable tier gear) was a response to the casual crowd while at the same time expanding on hard modes and, eventually, heroic difficulty based on the response to ZA timed runs and the like. Cataclysm was a response to the complaints that Wrath was 'too easy' and that people missed the old world - and many people remember that, at the time of Cataclysm's release, the fans were very excited about the potential the expansion had.

Obviously the biggest complaint in cataclysm, by the end, was the enormous amount of time between content patches. Blizzard yet again is responding to that with Mists of Pandaria. From a personal standpoint, I couldn't be happier - Mists is shaping up to be everything I had hoped for and more (though time will tell if that remains true throughout the expansion's lifetime). There will always be passionate people on the forums, and there will always be outspoken negativity. But as long as Blizzard continues to adapt their strategy based on the feedback they receive from the playerbase, WoW will continue to utterly dominate the field.

Very well said indeed. It's too bad the negative responses weren't this well put we could get some real discussion going instead of name-calling and bickering.

That said, Blizzard MUST keep up this pace of content release to keep a large number of players after stating this, i believe. Mop is turning out to be a shining example of what can be done with an aging game. I'm having a blast with 5.2 and am looking forward to future content being release BEFORE I'm done with it.

"Dear your holiness, your army is safe and sound, they're down here dying for you."
Bayside is a cult.

"Part of the team has been split off to work on the odd number patches, Patch 5.1, 5.3, and maybe even Patch 5.5!
The rest of the team works on the even numbed patches with raids, Patch 5.0, 5.2, and Patch 5.4.The team working on WoW has also been enlarged, and is now bigger than ever before. The team size will be increased as time goes on."

Very well said indeed. It's too bad the negative responses weren't this well put we could get some real discussion going instead of name-calling and bickering.

That said, Blizzard MUST keep up this pace of content release to keep a large number of players after stating this, i believe. Mop is turning out to be a shining example of what can be done with an aging game. I'm having a blast with 5.2 and am looking forward to future content being release BEFORE I'm done with it.

Absolutely. And that's the big risk they run, I think. They're doing really well with Mists but they're going to have to keep the pace up. I think they can do it, but only time will tell.-

I'm fairly certain that PS2's success has less to do with fanboys and more with the massive game library the console had.

The PS2 monopolized. The 360 broke Sony's monopoly.

Originally Posted by Satanous

Somebodies a bitter they never got a Playstation from the sounds of it. WoW has no been milked any more than any big franchise sorry the other mmos out there lately have sucked so fierce Blizzard felt no need to rush content to compete against them.

Oh and using the word fanboy does nothing for your part of the argument except make you look like a tool. Not to mention the fact Blizzard has no monopoly since it does have plenty of competition they are all just lesser than it.

WoW will be a lot better when it is forced to compete more, then we all win.

But you don't want that right?

Also, I did own a PS2.

Originally Posted by huth

So what would you have them do? Release a few more content free balancing patches? Create some minor stuff for you to look at and delay MoP? Also, it was 9 months. The year was during WotLK.

Wrath had tons to do. IC was actually good, and people were still doing TOC 25 for trinkets. Even Halion was fun.

What I would have them do is not sacrifice the quality of the current game in order to sell us a new one. That's what I would have them do.

"These people, Adam, they're like ghosts. Always in the shadows. Always hiding behind lies and proxy soldiers. I need you to find them. They cannot stop us. They cannot stop the future".

Your own fault if you are bored then, as there is other stuff to do in the game than what you just described.

---------- Post added 2013-03-15 at 06:32 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Garian

The PS2 monopolized. The 360 broke Sony's monopoly.

WoW will be a lot better when it is forced to compete more, then we all win.

But you don't want that right?

Also, I did own a PS2.

Wrath had tons to do. IC was actually good, and people were still doing TOC 25 for trinkets. Even Halion was fun.

What I would have them do is not sacrifice the quality of the current game in order to sell us a new one. That's what I would have them do.

Barely anyone did Halion. Most people seem to forget that the Ruby Sanctum even existed. And sure, ICC was good - but that doesn't change the fact that it lasted for about a year. And no, Wrath had less content than MoP.

Barely anyone did Halion. Most people seem to forget that the Ruby Sanctum even existed. And sure, ICC was good - but that doesn't change the fact that it lasted for about a year. And no, Wrath had less content than MoP.

TOC/IC/Halion > DS

Halion was fun, especially the hard mode. Sorry if people were too lazy to do him. One shot mechanics are hard bro. I personally loved those lazer beams.

"These people, Adam, they're like ghosts. Always in the shadows. Always hiding behind lies and proxy soldiers. I need you to find them. They cannot stop us. They cannot stop the future".

"Part of the team has been split off to work on the odd number patches, Patch 5.1, 5.3, and maybe even Patch 5.5!
The rest of the team works on the even numbed patches with raids, Patch 5.0, 5.2, and Patch 5.4.The team working on WoW has also been enlarged, and is now bigger than ever before. The team size will be increased as time goes on."

One question I have is: How soon will we see the next expansion? It's no doubt this expansion's cycle will be quicker than the others, but how quicker? If 5.3 is coming "sooner" than we think, let's say in 2 months, it'll be out in the middle of May. Another 4-5 months for 5.4 to come out and we're looking at September. Then what? 5.5 coming out? Is it going to be a smaller patch too? 2-3 more months until that comes out. Then what? 3-4 months of waiting, or more?

I'm intrigued. Will it come in the spring of 2014, or in the summer when school is over?

2. You're making assumptions, especially with something personal to me.

If you want to discuss this logically instead of letting your malformed biased hate for Blizzard cloud your judgment, I'll do so.

It is not an opinion that WoW has practically monopolized the MMO market and stagnated it as a whole due to the only true advancements being made by Blizzard itself. Any new ideas in other newer MMO's are quickly shot down because they can't fathom competing with WoW.

Originally Posted by High Overlord Saurfang

"I am he who watches they. I am the fist of retribution. That which does quell the recalcitrant. Dare you defy the Warchief? Dare you face my merciless judgement?"

Oh, by the way, GW2 is it's real competition. GW2 is a FANTASTIC game, just not one I liked and thus did not level past level 18.

It also had the competition of Rift AND SWTOR. You remember how those worked out, correct?

And I like my PS3, thank you very much.

OT: Oh, you're smart. I somehow got to level 48 and then said to myself "What have I been doing for the past 2 weeks?"

On topic: It sounds awesome, but as long as they have the main villian of each patch do something other than sit in their castle until you come along to fight them. I sincerely hope that Lei Shen actually gets some screen time through flashbacks/lore. He was just resurrected then skipped off to say Hai! to his trusty Nalak, then went and sat in his throne. Just give them SOMETHING. Something...

By Blizzard Entertainment:
Part of the reason is that Battlegrounds are like ducks.

Knock it off with personal insults and irrelevant metaphors and analogies.

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